Tiburon crime camera helps nab burglary suspects

A controversial police surveillance system in Tiburon proved critical to nabbing several burglary suspects.

Last year, Tiburon placed cameras on the two main roads leading into town. They record the rear license plate as cars enter and leave the city.

Monday, the system identified a stolen plate within minutes of a burglary in nearby Belvedere. Police located the car and pursued the suspects and eventually arrested them in San Francisco.

Tiburon's police chief, Michael Cronin, says property crime has gone down about 30 percent since the cameras were installed.

"We've recovered several stolen cars and we've solved other crimes," said Cronin. "These are crimes that probably would have gone unsolved and the people who committed those crimes probably would have returned to victimize people on the peninsula again."

Cronin says the cameras don't record the occupants of the cars on purpose to avoid issues of intrusion.